Despair's Reign
by Dark Eyed Angel
Summary: *The world of X-men and the world of magic collide when an old mutant is summoned from the grave, now the X-men are forced to to keep an open mind...or else this mutant could take over the world and cause an apocalypse.*
1. The sign

~~~~Part I: The sign~~~~ *Summary: The world of X-men and the world of magic collide when an old mutant is summoned from the grave, now the X-men are forced to to keep an open mind...or else this mutant could take over the world and cause an apocalypse.*  
  
*Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any character associated with X-men or Marvel comics...*sad sigh*... your all probably lucky I don't... *evil grin*... but I just wanted to play with them for a while... *does a happy dance*  
  
**Notes: Okay first of all, you have to understand that in my point of view, witchcraft is only as evil as the person doing it, If you can't understand that then stop reading now, okay if your still reading then you must, be either nosy or you can really accept my point of view, second I have only studied the Craft, I haven't practiced it, so anything I get wrong, sorry don't jump down my throat about it, I do know a little about it but not much, third of all Gambit speaks French, I don't, so bare with me, if it was Spanish I could do it but not French, (By the way, my description of magic is exaggerated in the story) and lastly...please enjoy and send me feedback good or bad I wanna know, but please only constructive criticism...**  
  
Raven stood in a dark ally she heard them coming at least six hooded figures surrounded her, she took up a fighting stance, her eyes glazed over a feral yellow color, like a tiger, now she saw everything around her in infrared. She sent a roundhouse kick to the first one's temple; he collapsed immediately. The two closest ones pulled out machetes one in each hand, and the closest one out of the two swung one of his around in an arc to cut off her head, but she easily side stepped it and grabbed his arm using his momentum she slammed him into the ally wall. Behind her a trash can fell over and there was a screech of a frightened cat. Raven switched her attention to the cat, meanwhile the other hooded figures grabbed her by the arms, and the second one with the machetes took a step toward her and placed a machete at her throat. Suddenly the image disappeared and she was back in the danger room.  
  
"You have to work on your attention span, you can't be distracted by the smallest of things," Professor Xavier told her.  
  
"What are you talking about, I had them just where I wanted them," Raven rolled her eyes.  
  
Logan and Scott came up behind the Professor, "Right, maybe if you were trying to commit suicide," Logan mumbled.  
  
"It was a cat, how did you not expect that to distract me? The thing sounded petrified," Raven asked annoyed.  
  
"It was only a cat, you have to learn that your life is more important then some stray cat," the professor told her.  
  
"Not to the cat," Raven hissed. Behind her she heard Kitty giggle, she turned and glared at her. Kitty immediately stopped laughing, and shrank back behind Rogue and Jubilee who wisely kept quiet.  
  
"I understand your empathy for animals, but you need to learn where to draw the line, and also could we try not killing people? That's not what we do," Xavier replied calmly. Raven had always had a certain understanding of animals that no one else could possibly have, due to her mutation, which he completely understood, but he was worried it would get her killed.  
  
"Right, 'cause I already know where to draw the line for my empathy for the human race, save the criminals and slaughter the animals its the human way," Raven tossed back, tossing her long black hair she walked out of the danger room and headed for her room.  
  
"Jeez, she can be so mean to someone, but I saw her bring a hurt bird to her room earlier," Kitty said shaking her head.  
  
"Why does she have a bird in her room?" Logan asked wrinkling up her forehead.  
  
"Johnny scorched its feathers this morning, I thought she was going to kill him," Kitty told him.  
  
"He what?" Scott's eyes widened under his red glasses.  
  
"Not on purpose," Rogue said quickly, "He was just foolin' around bein' a guy and the bird got in the way, he couldn't fly, It's a good thing Johnny can run fast,"  
  
"And it's in her room, don't we have rules about that?" Scott raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah well it wouldn't be the first time she brought in strays, small cats, snakes, anything that wiggles and isn't a bug," Kitty babbled on.  
  
"Kitty," Jubilee hissed.  
  
"Oops," Kitty said realizing what she'd done,"You didn't here it from me, she hates me enough as it is,"  
  
"Don't take it personal kid, she doesn't like Jean either," Logan told her. There wasn't many people his little sister did like, she got along okay with Rogue and Jubilee, But the only one she really actually liked was Gambit, and Logan didn't really like the idea of them hanging around each other, considering Gambit's fondness for the opposite sex.  
  
"Who does she like?" Kitty demanded.  
  
"Jubilee and Rogue," Logan told her.  
  
"Not if she's mad," Jubilee said, "Though she seems to be rather fond of Gambit," Jubilee giggled. Logan glared at her and she immediacy stopped laughing. "I meant in a friendly way, of course," she told him, glancing away so she wouldn't laugh, Logan was extremely over protective over her and they all found it amusing.  
  
"Wow, does that glare run in the family?" Kitty whispered to Rogue.  
  
"I'm guessin'" Rogue replied.  
  
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________  
  
Raven ran her hand through her hair and looked into the mirror, she needed to get out of here. The crow she brought in this morning screeched loudly at the window, in her room. She walked out into the room. The crow was perched on a chair near the balcony window. It looked at her pleadingly. "I'm sorry but you have to wait 'til your feathers grow back sweetie," Raven told her. The bird looked down and then back out the window. She looks so depressed, she thought, stoking its head. "Sweetie, I'm gonna go out, wanna come with?" she asked the bird. It squawked in response. "All right let me change," she told it going into the bathroom again. When she came out she was wearing hip-hugging black leather pants and a low cut maroon halter top. She grabbed her leather duster off her bed and lifted the crow onto her shoulder, and went downstairs.  
  
(Note: What you have to understand about Raven is that she's not crazy, her mutation makes her feel like one of them and makes her able to communicate with the animal, I guess its a sort of telepathy, but she doesn't realize that, so she speaks out loud, when in reality she doesn't have to)  
  
"Mon chere? Where are you goin'?" Gambit asked, leaning against the railing at the bottom of the staircase.  
  
"Out, I need to breathe," she replied curtly not bothering to stop.  
  
"Don't you need to tell the professor? Or Wolvy for that matter," he asked.  
  
"Nope, but you can if you want," she called back over her shoulder before leaving. She hopped into her bright yellow 3000GT, she put up the top so it wouldn't bother the crow, and then she sped off.  
  
Logan walked down the stairs passing by Gambit, "She's gone," Gambit told him.  
  
"What? Where'd she go?" Logan asked stopping in his tracks.  
  
"Don't know," Gambit said pulling out his pack of cigarettes and a lighter.  
  
"Why didn't you ask?" Logan demanded.  
  
"I did, she said she was going..." Gambit paused as he lit his cigarette.  
  
Logan looked at him expectantly, "out...she needed to breathe," Gambit continued.  
  
"Why do I bother asking you anything?" Logan growled and walked back up the stairs.  
  
Gambit smiled, to himself. ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________  
  
Raven stepped out of the car; the bird perched on her shoulder. The place didn't look too busy, but on a Sunday the magick shop rarely was, so she figured Ritzy and Dee shouldn't be to busy.  
  
She stepped through the doors the chimes ringing as she opened it. "Be with you in a second," A voice called from the back.  
  
"It's me Ritzy," Raven called.  
  
"Oh okay come on back," she replied.  
  
Raven walked back to the back of the store, she could smell the incents in the air, Dee was sitting on a beanbag chair in the corner while Ritzy, sat on a blanket flipping through an old looking book.  
  
"Who's your friend?" Dee asked.  
  
"Oh her, she had her feathers scorched by some flamethrowing crackhead, so I took her in," Raven explained.  
  
"Oh you poor thing, maybe we can try to heal you," Ritzy said to the bird, "You should try she likes you,"  
  
"Okay what do I need to do," Raven asked.  
  
Ritzy went around putting out all of her incents and got out fresh ones, "Okay sit in the middle of the room," Ritzy told her, "Now set the bird down right in front of you,"  
  
Ritzy poured salt around the two in a clockwise motion, then lit four incents, one in front of Raven, one behind her, and one on each side. Then she set four light pink candles in between them and lit them in clockwise order.  
  
"Okay I need some purified holy water, um, some...sage, a glass bowl, and um, an amethyst, possibly an athame," Ritzy said thinking out loud.  
  
"I have an athame in my trunk, and an amethest, I'll go get it if..." Raven started, but Ritzy cut her off.  
  
"No, no, no, you can't leave the circle I'll go get it, gimme your keys," Ritzy told her.  
  
"They're in a black duffel bag, here," she replied handing her the keys.  
  
Ritzy took the key and went out the door, "I guess I'll go get the rest of the stuff from the shop," Dee told her, "Don't move and don't smudge the circle,"  
  
"Okay I'll be here, not moving, promise," Raven assured her.  
  
Ritzy strolled back into the room, "You left your cellphone in the car, your brother called but I told him you were busy and would have to call him back later,"  
  
"You told him what?" Raven's eyes widen, "and he agree?"  
  
"Oh no, you know better than that, I hung up on him, he tried to call back but I put it on silent," she replied.  
  
"Oh thanks, Ritz, now I'm gonna here it," Raven shook her head but couldn't suppress a grin, I would have loved to see his face then, she thought.  
  
"Okay, here, now what you've got to do is call upon Isis's power because she has healing powers, its a simple spell you shouldn't have any problems you've done one's like this," Ritzy told her.  
  
"Whoa, wait, Isis she's like really powerful, I don't think I can..." Raven began...but Dee walking in the room stopped her.  
  
"You can do this, do you know why? Because you're powerful, and if anyone can you can," Dee smiled.  
  
"Well I'm gonna have to trust the fact that you trust me, and that Lenna trusts me," Raven told replied.  
  
"Lenna?" Ritzy asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"She didn't have a name, humans are the only animals that name each other, so I named her, she said she liked it," Raven explained.  
  
Ritzy smiled, "Your becoming attached to her,"  
  
"Hey, lets get this over with, though a goddess who can bring her dead husband back to life is not someone I want to play around with," Raven said changing the subject.  
  
"She'll probably like you, you've got that whole cat thing goin' on, and plus it's totally unselfish," Dee told her.  
  
"All right let's get started, first put the dried sage in the bowl, then light it on fire, that'll purify the room," Ritzy explained.  
  
Raven did as she was told, a pungent aroma filled the air that reminded her of spaghetti, she jerked a little at the sight of the fire, since fire scared her, it was an animal instinct, the professor had explained, it was natural, because of her mutation.  
  
"Next, cleanse your athame with the fire, and then the amethyst," she continued.  
  
Raven held the athame in the flames for a minute, and then held the amethyst in the flames next.  
  
"Now pour the holy water into the flames, then drop in the amethest, then you know what to do from there," Ritzy finished.  
  
Raven took a deep breath, she slowly poured in the holy water from the jug until the bowl was full, and then she dropped in the amethyst. Next, she placed her fingers on the water's surface so they barely brushed the water. She took another deep breath, now was the tricky part wording the spell right so it didn't back fire. She stared down into the bowl concentrating on the amethyst at the bottom. "Isis, goddess of the moon, I ask you for your help and power, before me lies, the wounded, victim of Someone's recklessness, before me lies a grounded crow. I ask you for your power to let this wounded victim be wounded no more, heal her wings and let her once again be free to fly," Raven took another deep breath. She felt a tingling sensation enter her hands and travel up her arms and through her body. She then, placed her hands around Lenna and she felt all that power pouring into the bird. Raven smiled, then tossed Lenna into the air, she spread her wings and flew out of the backroom and into the store then back again.  
  
"Isis, I humbly thank you for your power and assistance," Raven said finishing the spell.  
  
They were quiet for a minute, then Dee broke the silence, "That was awesome, and you were worried? I couldn't have done it better myself, well heck, I probably couldn't have even done it,"  
  
"It wasn't that good, I mean you could have done it, once you start its like automatic, the words just came to me," Raven shrugged.  
  
"That was amazing, your a natural, I told you, you'd make a good vet, you could talk to them and then heal them," Ritzy told her.  
  
"That would be personal gain wouldn't it?" Raven said looking from Dee to Ritzy.  
  
"Yeah, Raven I was joking," Ritzy smiled.  
  
"Oh, just making sure," Raven stood up, "Let me help you clean up,"  
  
"Nah, girl, don't worry about, go talk to your brother, before he explodes into slinkies," Ritzy told her waving her away.  
  
"I would pay to see that," Raven giggled. Lenna cawed happily as flew out of the shop ahead of Raven.  
  
"I'll see ya'll later then," Raven called to them as she walked out of the shop, "Go Lenna, go fly, if you wanna come back I'll leave the balcony door open,"  
  
Lenna fluttered away into the air, Raven smiled after her, and got into the car, and headed toward the institute. ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________  
  
Raven stood outside of the institute, for a while under a tree. She heard a the branches above her head move around, she glanced up and a large black tabby cat was looking down at her, it was a cat she'd often seen around here, she'd warned it to stay up in the trees at night because of the security system. She named him Chico, when she'd first met him and since then he'd been hanging around in the trees a lot. "Hey, Chico, how are you?" Raven smiled. Suddenly he let out a yowl as if he was in pain.  
  
"Chico, baby what's wrong?" Raven eye's widen in concern. Suddenly he fell out of the tree and landed on the ground in front of her, she could hear his breathing, it was shallow. He yowled again. "Chico sweetie, you have to tell me what's wrong...you have to then I can help," Raven said in a frantic voice, "Come on I'm gonna take you inside," She scooped him up in her arms and ran inside.  
  
When she got inside no one was there, she ran into the rec. room. Logan, Jean, Scott, Rogue, Kitty, Gambit, and Spike sat around talking and basically doing nothing. When she entered the room everyone looked up.  
  
"Hey, isn't that the black cat the runs around outside the institute all the time," Jean asked.  
  
"Yeah, there's something wrong with him, he won't tell me what, he's, he's in pain, and he just fell and..." Raven babbled on the verge of tears.  
  
Logan, Gambit and Rogue immediately were at her side, "Chere, calm down, take a deep breath, and start from the beginin' I don't understand a word you're sayin',"  
  
"Here sit down," Rogue pulled out a chair for her.  
  
"He, he was in the tree and I was talking, but then out of nowhere he yowled like, like something hurt him, and not like the, 'someone stepped on my tail' type yowl, like the 'someone tossed me into a bon fire' type yowl, and he just fell out of the tree and yowled again, his breathing's really shallow...he's, he's dying and, I don't know why, I need, to know I need to help him but he won't talk to me..." A single tear slipped down her cheek.  
  
"He's a cat, does she know cat's don't talk?" Spike whispered to Scott, But since both Raven and Logan have extremely good hearing...he received three evil glares.  
  
"That's just your human ignorance talking, all animals speak, its just a matter of listening is all," Raven growled angrily.  
  
"Spike, shut up, don't say anything else, I'll talk to you later," Logan narrowed his eyes, "See if the professor can do anything for it,"  
  
As he said that the professor entered the room sensing, Raven's distress over the dying cat. Raven had always been difficult for him to read because of the mental wall she sub-consciencely put up around her mind, but there was no mistaking her frustrations.  
  
"Right on cue, man he's good," Spike muttered, which he was rewarded by another angry glare from Logan.  
  
"Can you help? Do something he's dying, I don't why," Raven pleaded.  
  
"I can try to read him, but it wouldn't help, I wouldn't understand an animal's thought process," he told her.  
  
"Can you show me what you see?" Raven asked.  
  
"Actually I can," Xavier smiled, he knew that she'd be able to interpret it better than he could, her mutation actually made her part animal, mostly like a cat. He placed a hand on the cat's head, all at once a bunch of terrifying images that he couldn't make out flashed into his mind. He pulled his hand away as if the cat had bitten him.  
  
"What did you see?" Logan asked.  
  
"I don't know, all I know is that whatever he saw horrified the cat," Xavier shook his head, "Raven are you sure you want me to show you?"  
  
"Yes, do it," Raven nodded.  
  
Xavier put a hand on her head, *Image* Inside a building, there was a sign on the floor, it was a huge circle, with a huge square in the middle, and each corner of the square was connected to the opposite one with a thin black line, and at the spot where they interacted, there was a pool of blood. The lines connecting the corners of the squares burst into flames, the flames slowly spread to the square, then to the circle. Out of the flames a face emerged, a terrifying face. Chico backed out through the small window he'd came in through...*End of Image*  
  
The image faded out, but not before she saw the face again, but this didn't feel like a memory from Chico, this felt like something in her head. The face smiled evilly then mouthed something that looked like: Join or die Raven, join or die! Raven jerked back away from the professor with a terrified looked on her face. Then she looked to check on Chico but he wasn't there. Before she could ask Logan responded.  
  
"He died before you came out of vision, so..." his voice trailed off.  
  
Raven swallowed, and nodded.  
  
"What did you see?" Professor X asked.  
  
"It was, Um, I'm not really sure it wasn't too clear and my head was a little foggy, or his head was a little foggy, I'm tired I'm going to bed," Raven replied. She got up to leave when Logan grabbed her wrist, "Logan, I'm fine and I'm tired Do you mind?" she snapped.  
  
"What scared you? What'd you really see?" Logan asked.  
  
"Logan, I already said that..."  
  
"I know what you said, but if your not scared then why is you pulse rate so high?" Logan asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
Raven jerked wrist away from him, "Leave me alone Logan, I'm tired," with that she went to her room.  
  
Raven opened her balcony, window, and Lenna flew in immediately, Raven stepped out on her balcony and looked over the edge. Something's not right, She thought, but what is it? 


	2. Something Wicked this Way Comes

~~~~Part II: Something Wicked This Way Comes~~~~  
  
**Notes: Yes I did get this title from a TLC song...**  
Raven dragged herself out of bed; she took a long hot shower and pulled on a pair of tight hip hugging blue jeans and a low cut black, long net sleeve shirt (Meaning the sleeves with made of a net like material) which showed off her flat muscled stomach. She pulled on her leather duster and headed out of the room.  
  
"Where are you going?" Raven heard Logan's voice from behind.  
  
"Out, " Raven said without stopping.  
  
"Out where?" Logan demanded.  
  
"Nosy much?" Raven scoffed.  
  
"Yeah well, last time you went out your friend hung up on me," Logan replied.  
  
"I was busy," she said.  
  
"So I heard," Logan rolled his eyes but let her go.  
  
Raven didn't bother getting her car instead she wanted to walk, she often walked instead of take the car just to clear her head, but in order to clear her head now she'd need a long walk.  
Raven entered Ritzy's Magick shop, which Ritzy had creatively called, Destiny's Pathway, business was slower than yesterday, and the parking lot was empty except for Dee's Hummer. When she walked in Dee was sitting on the counter, next to the register.  
  
"S'up sister!" Dee greeted her.  
  
Ritzy came out from the back room, "Hey, Raven, what's wrong?"  
  
Ritzy had always been perceptive that way, she'd always been able to tell what mood other people were in even before actually seeing the person. Dee and Raven both knew she was tele-empathic, but Ritzy claimed it was a talent. " I need to look through some of your books before I decide if there really is anything wrong. Do you mind?" Raven asked.  
  
"Why would I?" Ritzy smiled, "All the good ones are in the back, go on I have some stuff to do out here but if you need anything call me,"  
  
" 'kay," Raven replied walking in the back.  
  
Dee hopped back behind the resgister, when she heard the ding of the chimes hung over the door.  
  
Logan walked into the small shop, the place smelled of several different types of herbs and incents, he walked over to the register where he saw a short pale girl with, short spiky black hair and several piercings going up both ears, and an assortment of strange necklaces.  
  
"Is Raven here?" He asked the girl.  
  
Dee was about to answer when she heard Ritzy say, "So what if she is you gotta problem?"  
  
Logan turned and looked at the tall dark skinned girl, her curly black hair was splayed in all directions, and her dark eyes were slightly mocking as she looked at him, raising an eyebrow. He'd only met the girl once, but he remembered her, she was one of those people who made an impression on people.  
  
Logan actually smiled, "I might,"  
  
"Score, I made Mr. Passive aggressive smile," Ritzy smiled at him.  
  
Logan stopped smiling, "Don't push it,"  
  
Logan glanced around the shop at the assortment of slightly odd things he wondered around slowly, realizing what kind of shop he actually was it. What has she gotten herself into? he thought.  
  
"It's not as bad as it looks," Ritzy told him walking up behind him.  
  
"What?" Logan wrinkled up his face.  
  
"It's not that bad, promise, if your not used to the craft it may take some explaining though, " Ritzy told him.  
  
"Really, what are you a psychic?" Logan raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Not quite," Dee said speaking up, "but close enough, she's got this annoy knack for knowing what people are feeling, "  
  
Raven came out of the room carrying a book, "Ritzy, come look at this I think I found what I was looking for,"  
  
Raven's eyes fell on Logan, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Yeah well she's feeling pissed," Ritzy told him.  
  
"Lets go now," Logan, said.  
  
"No, I'm not finished," Raven narrowed her.  
  
"Honey, chill I'll take a look at it and call you later," Ritzy told her.  
  
"No, you need to call me while your looking at it, " Raven replied her eyes focused on Logan.  
  
"Fine, but if y'all are gonna argue do it elsewhere, we now have customers, " Ritzy told them as two women walked in the store.  
  
A chill ran down Raven's spine as the women walked by her, she knew something wasn't right about them but could quite place her finger on it.  
  
"Do you sell in bulk?" one of them asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah, sometimes," Ritzy replied suspiciously.  
  
The other one raised her eyebrow, "Well, Can we have 100 athames?"  
  
"We only sell herbs in bulk, sorry," Ritzy said quickly.  
  
She sucked her teeth and walked out.  
  
"Ritzy, we always sell athames in bulk what was that?" Dee asked from behind the counter.  
  
"Didn't trust 'em," she said simply, "Raven, felt it too,"  
  
Raven nodded, "Call me later, we need to talk,"  
  
"Gotcha, Chow chica," Ritzy told her.  
  
Raven turned on her heal and walked out.  
  
"See ya grumpy," Ritzy called after Logan who followed after Raven not bothering to reply.  
  
Raven walked into the institute in front of Logan, they'd both been quite so far, but she knew it wouldn't last long. Finally Logan grabbed her by the arm and turned her around. "What was that all about?" Logan demanded.  
  
"What was what all about?" Raven hissed back.  
  
"The Tarot cards, the crystal balls, the books in languages that don't exist, what was that?" he growled back.  
  
"It's called a magick shop Logan, and Hello if the language didn't exist then how could there be books written in it obviously it does exist smart one," Raven snarled.  
  
"You do know none of that is real right?" he asked her.  
  
"Neither, is a girl who talks to animals, a guy who can read minds, and an a jerk brother who doesn't stay hurt for more than a few seconds," she scoffed.  
  
"That's different its called Physics, but that is magick, something some freak show magician does to entertain the small minded," Logan retorted.  
  
"Supernatural, Paranormal, Metaphysics, all it is, is science narrow minded people like you don't understand," Raven shot back.  
  
"Narrow minded? Look around, you can't be narrow minded here but maybe you should try being level headed, this, this stuff its evil it'll brain wash you," Logan told her.  
  
"Something's only as evil as the person using it, and if you didn't know anything about mutants you'd swear up and down that they were fake, so yes you can be narrow minded, besides, you had no right to follow me you invaded my personal space, " Raven growled back.  
  
"Someone had to, since obviously you have no sense of judgment," Logan scoffed.  
  
"No sense of judgment, coming from someone who'll dive first and look for sharks later, hypocritic much," Raven replied.  
  
"That's not the same, I wouldn't go out and join some devil worshipping occult, " Logan snapped.  
  
"For your information, neither Ritzy nor Dee nor I for that matter believe in the devil, you can't worship him if he doesn't exist, genius," Raven tossed back, "and you know what? What I do in my spare time is my own business and none of yours, so why don't you stay out of my business and worry about your own, jeez why don't you try self help classes or something, for all I care you can go take salsa classes but leave me alone!"  
  
"Sorry to interrupt your lovely conversation, but, Uh, Professor X wants to talk to you, Wolvy," Gambit told Logan sauntering slowly down the stairs, cigarette in hand.  
  
Logan rolled his eyes and walked off without another word. Raven headed up toward her room, Gambit following.  
  
Raven plopped down on her bed, before noticing that Gambit had followed her. He stood in the doorway of her room, "Chere, don't think your gettin' away from me that easily, you okay?" Gambit said.  
  
"Well come in if your coming in and lock the door I don't want Logan in here he's an a..." Gambit cut her off.  
  
"Ol' Wolvy's really not gonna like that," Gambit said closing and locking the door.  
  
Raven rubbed her temples, then ran her hands through her hair, "Does it look like I care?" she replied, "and could you please put out the cigarette, those things'll kill you,"  
  
"I'm still here," he replied, but stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it in the trashcan.  
  
"Yeah well while your giving yourself cancer your giving the rest the world cancer too," she told him cracking her neck.  
  
She heard a loud squawk at her window and saw Lenna sitting on the balcony.  
  
"Ohmigod, I'm so sorry, baby I forgot all about you I didn't mean too," she apologized running over to the window and opening it. Lenna flew in and landed on her bedpost.  
  
"What's with the bird?" Gambit asked.  
  
"That's Lenna, Johnny scorched her feathers yesterday morning," Raven explained.  
  
"Her feathers don't look scorched," he said examining the bird, who fluttered her wings uncomfortably.  
  
"I healed her, with that supposedly evil witchcraft Logan was going on about," Raven replied rubbing her shoulders.  
  
"Really?" Gambit gasped.  
  
"Do you see any burnt feathers?" Raven demanded reaching for her bottle aspirin and dry swallowing four.  
  
Gambit shook his head, "Hey, chere, you never answered my question,"  
  
"What question?" Raven asked him.  
  
"Are you okay?" Gambit clarified.  
  
"Headache," She responded bluntly.  
  
Gambit pulled a chair out from the desk in the corner of her room, and gestured for her to sit in it.  
  
"Why?" Raven asked getting up slowly.  
  
"Just do it," Gambit told her as she slowly sat down looking at him suspiciously.  
  
He placed his hands on her shoulders, and slowly started massaging them.  
  
"I knew there was some reason I liked you," Raven said relaxing.  
  
Gambit smiled, but didn't respond.  
"Logan, you really shouldn't be so hard on her, she's not doing anyone any harm," Xavier told Logan.  
  
"Yeah she may not be now, but when she started slitting people's throats for some non-existent god that requires daily sacrifices, don't say I didn't warn ya Charlie," Logan replied.  
  
"She wouldn't do that," He said back.  
  
Logan nodded knowing he was right, but he really didn't think this occult crap was healthy.  
  
"It doesn't matter what you think, it is her life, let her choose, besides I think she might be on to something," the professor replied to his thought.  
  
Logan clamped his mouth shut, the professor being the only one he'd give the respect of doing that for, but since he was a telepath it didn't help much. On to what, he thought involuntarily, what could she possibly be on to? None of that stuff exists, what did she figure out how to make faerie dust? Logan felt another presents in his head, maybe you do need to be a little more open minded Logan, the professor 'told' him.  
  
"Great, so now your taking her side," Logan said out loud.  
  
"I'm not taking anyone's side, Logan, I don't believe she's harming anyone, or is planning to," he responded.  
  
"Whatever you say Charlie, I just hope you know what you're doing," Logan said walking out.  
  
The ice-cold wind pierced her skin as she ran, but she didn't notice. Her legs felt like rubber, and her feet like cement. Her lungs burned for air, but she kept on running. She craned her neck to see if they were still following, she saw no one, she paused, and pulled her gray tattered trench coat around her.  
  
"Ana Lisa, We only want to help," the guy said in a soft voice.  
  
"W-w-where did you come from?" Ana Lisa stuttered her heart now pounding even faster as if it were going to burst from her chest.  
  
"You can't out run us, we'll always be able to find you," the guy said stepping out of the shadows with five other people.  
  
"P-please just leave me alone," she stuttered. The full moon cast light on her dirty smudged face, and her unkempt blonde hair.  
  
"We can't do that, you betrayed us, maybe you didn't understand the saying 'till death do us part' we're part of a family you can't leave, not without paying the price," he told her calmly.  
  
"You can't do this, people will find me, they'll know," Ana Lisa pleaded.  
  
"They'll know what? That a misguided homeless girl died in a freak accident?" he replied.  
  
The five people closed in around her forming a circle, they joined hands as the guy chanted in a foreign tongue. She felt and unbearable burning in side her throat, she tried to cry out in pain but found she couldn't the painful burning spread from the inside out, she collapsed on the ground, convulsing in agony. The last thing she saw was his face, who had a satisfied smile on his face.  
  
Raven suddenly jerked her head up..."What's wrong?" Gambit asked.  
  
She pushed Gambit away frantically search for...something. "Gambit you see my phone anywhere?" She asked sounding slightly distracted.  
  
Gambit scanned the room, "nope why?"  
  
Lenna cawed anxiously, Raven searched the pocket of her jacket and pulled out her small delicate looking red cellphone. "Thanks Lenna," she told him.  
  
"Smart bird," Gambit commented.  
  
Raven pushed some buttons on her phone, "Hey Ritzy did you call?"  
  
"I didn't hear the phone," Gambit said.  
  
"I had it on quiet, I heard it, I have good hearing...duh," she smiled.  
  
"Hey first of all, chica, you need to answer the phone when I call you, second of all How are you gonna call me back and talk to someone else?" Ritzy told her.  
  
"Ah, callate," Raven tossed back, "Un momento, por favor...Gambit, you know I love ya, right?"  
  
"Your about to kick me out aren't cha?" Gambit sighed.  
  
Raven smiled apologetically.  
  
"Figures the only time you'd say that, is if it was followed by 'get out'," he grumbled.  
  
"Oh don't take it personal, I need to talk to Ritzy..." she said ruffling his hair.  
  
"Fine, see ya later, chere," Gambit said unlocking the door and walking out into the hallway.  
  
"See ya," Raven replied, "Okay I'm back..."  
  
"You wanna tell me why you marked this page?" Ritzy asked.  
  
"A friend of mine, saw that symbol, painted on the floor, on fire, and he died, in the center was a pool of blood, and, I saw a face and he said 'join or die'," Raven told her.  
  
"This could be bad, this guy was a powerful mutant with occult powers, that symbol means someone's trying to raise him from the dead...he could destroy the world," Ritzy sighed, "If he said join or die, I'm thinkin' your friend wasn't of the human race, and I'm thinkin' he wasn't talkin' to your non-human friend...also I'm thinkin' that its your power he wants, so all in all, he wanted you to see what your friend saw, he was the messenger, and I guess he severed his purpose...his name's Despair...how appropriate,"  
  
"So what should we do? I'm not joining this guy and I don't kill easily," Raven replied.  
  
"Well if this guy at the institute that your at is some big shot mutant, maybe he could help," Ritzy suggested.  
  
"Oh know you have know idea of the argument me and my brother just had, to give you an idea brain-washing, devil worshipping, and evil, were tossed around a couple times," Raven explained.  
  
"Ouch, yeah I'll talk to him, but uh, you don't have to say anything to him I said the big shot mutant," Ritzy replied.  
  
"Xavier? I'm not sure if he would..." Raven began but Ritzy cut her off.  
  
"Well you won't know if you don't ask and gets to askin' I 've got stuff to do now..." Ritzy hung up the phone.  
  
"Well," Raven huffed staring at the phone. 


	3. Dancing with Despair

~~~~Part III: Dancing with Despair~~~~  
  
**Notes: Hi everyone I hope your enjoying this cause well I hope so...and I don't know how many I'm gonna make because I have a problem with endings...I'm not quite sure How to do it so bare with me...**  
  
Raven, Ritzy, Dee, Logan, Scott, Gambit, Jean, Orora, Rogue and the Professor sat around a table in Ritzy's magick shop which she had closed for a while. The book, which happened to be in Latin, sat in the middle, everyone was quiet and the atmosphere was tense. Lenna was perched on Raven shoulder looking from her to Ritzy to Xavier and back to her again, not really seeing the problem, but Raven didn't bother explaining it to her.  
  
Raven finally broke the silence, "Logan you don't have to be telepathic, to know what your thinking, so why don't you just say it, why should now be any different, than any other time you slice egos and shatter self esteems with your mind numbing ability to share your unpleasant thoughts?"  
  
"You wanna me to say what I'm thinkin'?" Logan growled looking her in the eyes, "I think this is ridiculous, grown people messing with magick? It's for children who don't know better, magicians who cheat you out of your money, but not for normal..."  
  
Raven cut him off, "Look around genius, Do you see any normal people here? No one here is normal, not even Ritzy and Dee, Ritzy Tele-empathic, and Dee can levitate do you call that normal, because if you do, buy a dictionary and look it up, and if you want normal people, go somewhere else, because I'm sick and tired of you judging things that you don't understand, and you know what I think it really is, I think your afraid..."  
  
"Afraid of what, the bunnies you pulled out of a freakin' hat? A card trick? yeah I'm shakin' Can't you tell?" Logan scoffed.  
  
Raven was silent for a second, so was everyone else, they knew better than to pour fuel on an already raging fire. "You wanna see magick Logan I'll show you some, Dee get me five black candles," Raven said angrily which Dee complied without a word.  
  
"All right Jean, set the candles up in a square shape and put the left over one in the middle," Raven told her.  
  
Jean also complied skeptically, but nonetheless she used her telekinesis, to move the candles into place, Ritzy lit each candle. "Everyone get up and back away from the table, except Logan," Raven told them.  
  
They all backed away, Except Ritzy, Dee, and Logan. Ritzy, Dee, and Raven spread themselves an equal distance apart from each other.  
  
"Logan go get the Athame, laying on the checkout counter, and give it to your sister," Ritzy said to Logan.  
  
"The what?" He wrinkled his head.  
  
"The knife," Ritzy clarified slightly impatient.  
  
He nodded and grabbed it off the counter, "Why does she need that?" he demanded.  
  
"Because she's gonna be our medium," Dee told him slightly more gently then, Ritzy would have.  
  
Logan nodded and handed it to her. "Now stand behind her, and if she falls catch her," Ritzy told him, "You ready chica?"  
  
"Si, y ustedes?" she asked (meaning 'yes and you all?).  
  
"Si, y tu?" Ritzy asked Dee. (meaning 'and you' there's supposed to be and accent mark over the 'u' but I wasn't sure how to do it)  
  
"Si, let's do it," Dee responded.  
  
Raven held the Athame with both hands in front of her as if she was praying, and Ritzy and Dee did the same with their hands.  
  
"Osiris, god of the underworld, I summon, you before the unbelievers, demonstrate your power let it flow through me, like water through a river bed, by the power of Fire," Raven chanted.  
  
"By the power of wind," Ritzy joined in.  
  
Then Dee joined next, "By the power of water,"  
  
"We beg of you come to us demonstrate your power, show them your strength through me," Raven finished.  
  
A cold wind whipped through the shop sending shivers up everyone's spine making the hair stand up on the back of their necks. The cold wind seemed to swirl around Raven, her body stiffened and suddenly convulsed, her eye's rolled back in her head and she collapsed. Logan caught her in complete surprise, as he checked her pulse, it was gone.  
  
"What did you do to her?" He growled.  
  
A translucent figure appeared in the center of the table, one that resembled an Egyptian pharaoh. The figure stepped down off the table.  
  
"Now do you believe?" It asked.  
  
Logan's claws came from his hands as the others looked on in terror. "Who are you?" He demanded.  
  
"I thought it went without saying, I'm Osiris, she asked for a demonstration that would make the non-believers believe, well do you believe?" Osiris asked again.  
  
"I believe that if you don't fix this problem, now I'm gonna kill you, that's what I believe," Logan snarled.  
  
"Does that mean you believe I can do it? Because if you don't I can't help you," Osiris told him calmly, "A simple yes or no that's all, she is dead completely, but her soul is still in the room, she sees you, from up there," he pointed toward the ceiling.  
  
"Yes okay just, do something," Logan said.  
  
Osiris just nodded and placed, a single translucent hand on her head. Raven's eyes suddenly opened she gasped for breath clinging to Logan's arm. Osiris's form solidified.  
  
"Don't you ever do that again!," Logan growled at Raven still holding on to her.  
  
"Great, I get in trouble for dying too?" Raven laughed.  
  
"You better believe it, kid," Logan smiled as he helped her steady herself.  
  
Raven glanced over noticing Osiris, she drew in a sharp breathe, "Wow," she whispered.  
  
"I didn't think you ever appeared in solid shape," Raven said pulling away from Logan and walking slowly around Osiris in slow circles like a cat circling its prey. Osiris watched her carefully with an amused grin on his face.  
  
"Shoot, I'm surprised you didn't leave her dead..." Ritzy said speaking up.  
  
"Why would I do that? we like her," he responded, smiling wider.  
  
"We?" Dee wrinkled up her forehead.  
  
"Isis, Seth, Nephthlys, Horus, Aton, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, all of us gods," he clarified.  
  
"Sacre blu, Mon chere, your famous eh?" Gambit smiled, "Not that I know who any of them are, I'm assuming other gods and goddesses."  
  
"Okay why?" Raven stopped walking and raised an eyebrow.  
  
Osiris chuckled slightly and shook his head.  
  
"What?" Raven widened her eyes.  
  
"You have no Idea how much power you have do you?" Osiris asked.  
  
"What power? So I can ask a god to kill me how much power do you need for that?" Raven shrugged.  
  
"You think I'm the one who made myself solid? Your power did it...not mine..." Osiris explained.  
  
"I don't think so...I couldn't ever, I don't have that much..." Raven stuttered.  
  
"Yes you do, and maybe the next events will convince you, While I'm here I'll tell you a little more about Despair, he was an ancient Mutant, that lived in Persia because he was banished from Egypt, by us gods, because of abuse of power, he was a mutant with the ability move and re-arrange molecules...of all kinds...which if you know anything about physics is an enormously dangerous power...he then started messing with the dark arts, using magick for evil and so on, well your ancestor banished him, to another dimension, which basically made him live forever, but the catch was in that damson everything was two dimensional, but he essence was in side of a hand crafted solid gold cube...which is hard enough to get out of but now he trapped in a solid gold square," He explained.  
  
"Bet that's gotta suck," Scott said shaking his head.  
  
"Now the symbol, his symbol, was etched on each face of the cube, which holds the power of fire, that's why is burst into flames, just remember if you trap his essence somewhere, make sure he can't get out...and you can kill his body but never his essence so be careful..." Osiris told them, "You can do this," He slowly shimmered away into nothing, and then he was gone.  
  
Raven ran her hands through her hair, and started pacing the magick shop. "Okay what do we do?" Raven looked around at everyone most were as dumbfounded, as she now was.  
  
"Well you guys are the witches you tell us," Scott said raising and eyebrow above his red glasses.  
  
"Yeah well ya'll are the mutants so what's the deal?" Ritzy crossed her arms.  
  
"I hate to point this out, but so are you guys, you've just always thought it was magick..." Scott replied to the frustrated Puerto Rican.  
  
"Not the point, hombre, you study physics we study metaphysics," She replied slight more irritated. ('hombre' meaning man)  
  
"Actually Scott she's right, but in order to do this, defeat Despair, we need both worlds because this is going to be a messy fight," Xavier said speaking up.  
  
"Not if we take 'em out before they get a chance to raise it," Ritzy told them.  
  
"That is a good Idea but how do you propose we find them?" Orora said.  
  
"I have an idea, This guy brings about the Apocalypse right?" Raven asked.  
  
"Yeah, we went over that..." Ritzy replied.  
  
"So that means there should be signs...Dee look online and find all weird apocalyptic events then mark them on a map, and let me see it," Raven told her. _________________________________________________________________  
  
*An hour later*  
  
"Hey guys come take a look at this," Dee called once she'd finished.  
  
Everyone gathered around the table, to see what she'd come up with.  
  
"Wow," Raven muttered. The weird events had all occurred in a pattern, more specifically, the pattern of Despair's sign.  
  
"The most recently one occurred right here," She said pointing at an old empty water tower right in the center, "Or just outside of it, A runaway, named Ana Lisa Mclaughlin died, burnt from the inside out,"  
  
"Spontaneous combustion?" Scott wrinkled up his forehead.  
  
"I doubt it was Spontaneous," Raven said, "I wanna go see that,"  
  
"It was recent it's probably still crawling with cops, and yellow tape," Jean told her.  
  
"Gimme a second," Raven replied, walking back into the back of the shop.  
  
*Five minutes later*  
  
Raven came out wearing, a cute black leather pants suit, and half of her hair pulled back with a few strands hanging down in the front. Making her look chic and somewhat professional at the same time. Hanging around her neck was a badge that made it obvious what her plan was.  
  
"You've got to be kidding, they have laws against that kind of thing," Scott said his eyes widening.  
  
Raven looked at him, raising an eyebrow, he knew better. In her past she was a theif, a very good one, but not petty theft and never cash, she stole priceless things from museums and safety desposit boxes. Mostly all high security places, but when she'd learned about her brother, she went to him but they had a heck of a time breaking her out of the habit of doing illegal things, some were important to the cause, and others were just bad habits. In fact when she first met Gambit, she stole his wallet just to figure out who he was. Normally she doesn't do pickpocketing but any good thief knows the basics, besides she gave it back...eventually.  
  
"You don't care, I get it but, we can't just go around doing illegal things because we can," Scott continued.  
  
"Scott, do you know the meaning of the word, Apocalypse?" She asked slowly articulating each word as if he were an idiot, "Let me simplify it, End of the world, total destruction, obliteration of everything good, big boom, death of everything..."  
  
He cut her off, "I know what it means but that doesn't..."  
  
"Hey, boy scout, if all these people die, breaking a simple law won't matter any more," Ritzy said taking her side, "People are dying, most likely our people, witches, so excuse me if I don't give a crap what law she's breaking."  
  
"She's right, People are dying, a small stunt like this will seem trivial if this mutant is raised," the professor said, "You should go ahead we'll keep in contact, take Scott with you,"  
  
"What?!" they both exclaimed at the same time.  
  
"Please Scott'll wimp out on me, he could barely stand the thought of breaking the law but he might go into convulsions if he actually comes close," Raven growled.  
  
"No, professor, I can't, she's insolent, rude, and I don't think she should go either, she could screw up this whole mission, she could get us bother arrested," Scott exclaimed.  
  
"Well Scott if we do get arrested, I can break in high security areas why not out?" she laughed.  
  
"You think this is some kind of joke, look she thinks its funny..." Scott ran his hand through his hair.  
  
"...that your obsessing over it, you sound like a paranoid psychopath, she can do this better than you'd ever be able to, so get over it, and get going," Ritzy growled turning Scott toward the door, and handing him his keys, he sighed, and walked out, Raven followed with a grin on her face.  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
Scott pulled up on the opposite side of the street and parked his car, he sat in the car for a second, while Raven got out and sat on his hood waiting for him. Scott finally got out and started heading toward the crime scene, when Raven grabbed him by the arm.  
  
"Here, you need this," she said handing him a fake badge, "Don't do anything stupid,"  
  
"Me, your telling me not to do anything stupid? I'm not the one you need to worry about," he snapped.  
  
"Yes, look at you now, keep your cool, okay, let me talk, believe me I know about cops," Raven told him and headed across the street before he had a chance to respond.  
  
"What do we got here?" Raven asked, the closest cop.  
  
"One crispy girl, burnt from the inside out," he replied with a chuckle  
  
"What's so funny?" She asked narrowing her eyes.  
  
He cleared his throat nervously..."Um nothin', I was just tryin' to lighten things up a bit ya know?"  
  
"Yeah I know," she repiled darkly.  
  
"So what department are ya'll from?" he asked as Scott walked up behind her.  
  
"Homicide," she replied coolly.  
  
"Homicide? When did this become a Homicide?" he wrinkled up his face.  
  
"Since we got here, Don't you have something to do?" she asked him.  
  
"Sure detective uh..." he started.  
  
"Diaz, and this is detective Malone," she said gesturing toward Scott.  
  
"Fine detective Diaz, if there's anything I can help you with I'll be around," He told her backing away leaving them staring at the large scorch mark on the ground.  
  
"Scott make sure no one's coming..."she told him.  
  
"Why?" Scott asked but his question was soon answered when her eye's glazed over a predatory yellow, like a tiger.  
  
She stared at the scorch mark now, seeing everything different, she saw several foot prints around the scorch mark, and those footprints head toward the abandoned water tower down the street a little. Raven pulled out pocket knife out of her jacket and scraped up a little of the remains, and stuck it in a small container and put it in her pocket.  
  
"Scott go to the and call the professor and tell him, we found central command," She told him.  
  
He nodded and headed back toward the car...Raven wandered toward the abandoned Water tower.  
  
Raven climbed up the latter on the side of the water tower, and hopped in, she could tell it was an old one because it reminded her of a giant tub...with several support columns coming up from the ground. The place was empty, She saw in the middle of the place the symbol on the floor and a dried blood stain in the middle of the symbol. Evil practically radiated from the place...it disturbed her. Suddenly, she was aware that she was alone...too suddenly. Up until that moment only a few rats and field mice scurried about, but this was different.  
  
A man with long thick black hair, pull back in a pony tail and dark eyes stepped out of the shadows. His skin was slightly tanned and he wore a black casual suit. His gaze fell upon her and he smiled, "It's too late, but I knew you'd come, Your curiosity got the better of you...You know what they say don't you...Curiosity killed the cat,"  
  
"Satisfaction brought it back," Raven replied as if she wasn't a nerved.  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked.  
  
"Not really," she replied honestly.  
  
"Honest, I like that," he said, "Join me, you'd go far, you could have power beyond belief,"  
  
"I don't think so, That whole apocalypse thing, I'm not feelin' that," Raven replied flippantly.  
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
Scott, Logan and the others will be there soon, Go find her, I think she's in trouble, Get her out of there if you can, the professor telepathically told him.  
  
Scott headed toward the water tower, still not believing that she went in there alone. He climbed up the latter, and into the old water tower.  
  
He kept to the shadows, and watched Raven and some other guy banter back and forth, but it was apparent, that Raven was scared and the other guy was amused.  
  
"Oh come on this world it's nothing, but we can re-make it, instead of several different governments for several different countries, one central government, one person to answer to," Despair told her.  
  
"And let me guess, that one person is you?" Raven asked.  
  
" Yes, but you could be right beside me," he replied nodding.  
  
"I'll have to pass, don't take it personal," Raven told him.  
  
"Your not leaving here, unless its in a bodybag," Despair said sighing.  
  
"I beg to differ," Scott said. Stepping out of the shadows behind Raven.  
  
"So how long were you gonna stand there?" Raven asked him.  
  
"You knew I was there?" Scott wrinkled up his forehead.  
  
"Please, Scott don't insult me, your stealth skills suck," Raven rolled her eyes.  
  
"You really must have wanted to die," Despair said to Scott.  
  
The concrete floor around him grew sticky and heavy like quicksand and he began to sink.  
  
"Scott!" Raven ran as close to him as she could get without sinking, which was less than helpful to him.  
  
Suddenly he was lifted straight out of the stick ground, Jean jumped out of the X-jet which was in stealth mode. Followed by Orora, Logan, Ritzy, Gambit, Rogue, and Dee.  
  
Raven smiled, but knew now she couldn't move. She could see that the floor all around her except for the spot she was standing on was liquidy. Jean lifted her off the ground and over to a safe none-quicksandy spot. Rogue snuck up behind Despair, and pulled off her glove...she grabbed despair by the neck...instantly the ground hardened and Despair collapsed.  
  
"Whoa," Rogue said stumbling, "No wonder this guy's on an ego trip, He's high off all this power, It's like he can literally mold the earth,"  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
"You shouldn't have gone in alone," Scott told her.  
  
Raven didn't even dignify him with a glance. In fact she didn't even hear him, she stared at nothing imparticular, not moving or even giving any sign that she was paying attention. Which made Scott mad, and he just gave up walking out of Xavier's office.  
  
Raven, Are you there? The professor 'asked' her.  
  
"Huh?" Raven's head snapped up.  
  
"You all right?" Ritzy asked her leaning on the professor's desk.  
  
"You tell me," Raven replied, in a monotone voice.  
  
"He scared you," Ritzy said, "but Scott's right,"  
  
"About what?" Raven glanced at her.  
  
"You shouldn't have gone in alone," Xavier told her.  
  
"Messin' with him is like dancing with The Devil," Ritzy told her.  
  
"No, not with The Devil, with Despair," she replied, in the same, emotionless voice. 


	4. Pandora's Box

~~~~Part IV: Pandora's Box~~~~  
  
Raven, Ritzy, Logan and Gambit sat around a table in Ritzy's magick shop, with stacks of old books, flipping through page by page.  
  
"This crap is useless," Raven growled tossing a book back into the pile.  
  
"Hey, easy, these books are old, come one now," Ritzy told her, "I found something, 'told hold an essence, particularly an evil essence you need a box build by a god' "  
  
"So, what, are we supposed to asked, that Osiris guy to build us a box?" Logan asked closing the book he'd been looking through.  
  
"Doesn't work that way, the only way Osiris can interfere is with permission from the god Ra the supreme Egyptian god," Ritzy told him.  
  
"I get the feeling you can't find one on E-bay, So how is that helpful," Logan replied.  
  
"Pandora's Box," Raven said suddenly.  
  
"What?" Gambit looked at her.  
  
"Pandora's box, it was build by Zeus to hold the sorrow's of mankind," Raven explained, "But the box was found by the Romans and they took it with them to Egypt, and that was the last anyone's ever heard of it,"  
  
"What, are we supposed to go to Egypt to find it?" Logan asked.  
  
No one spoke Ritzy just smiled.  
  
"Sorry I asked," Logan muttered. ______________________________________________________________ Xavier sat in his office, with Raven and Ritzy.  
  
"There's not another way is there?" Xavier asked.  
  
Raven didn't bother answering, she knew that he already knew the answer; there hadn't been much verbal speaking. The professor being telepathic and Ritzy being tele-empathic, they've been chatting mentally back and forth which was comfortable with them but, Raven, though they did include her, found it uncomfortable, not to be able to actually hear people, and that there was more than one person in her head, besides her. It kind of made her feel schizophrenic, which Ritzy found amusing.  
  
**Alright, then you two go and take three more people, you guys can take the X-jet it'll be faster, it should only take a day if you find the box fast,** Xavier 'said'.  
  
**It'll be hard to find though, especially if the information's not accurate, but Scott, Gambit and Logan should come, because you know Logan's gonna complain and argue if he doesn't..**.Ritzy 'replied'.  
  
Raven shifted uncomfortably, **Grrrr, Their gonna drive me nuts, **Raven thought involuntarily.  
  
**Sorry,** They 'told' her at the same time.  
  
Raven rolled her eyes, and Ritzy jumped in the chair sitting on her and then hugging her.  
  
"I love you," Ritzy said in a child-like voice.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, that's what you say," Raven replied, "Now get off you too heavy,"  
  
"Hey, what exactly are you sayin'?" Ritzy demanded.  
  
The professor cleared his throat, with an amused smile on his face.  
  
"Are you two done yet?" he asked.  
  
"Sorry," they said in a child-like voice.  
  
"We're done, we'll be good, Promise," Raven said still in the child voice.  
  
Xavier couldn't help but laugh, he hadn't seen this side of Raven before, she was more open and less defensive, but what bothered him was that he noticed she was more defensive when she was around the mutants at the institute than she was around Ritzy, which probably meant that she didn't trust most people at the institute, but he wasn't surprised, Logan was the same way when he first came here, and even now he has trouble trusting people. It would figure she was the same way.  
  
"Alright, then tell them to come, and try to be back as soon as possible, " Xavier, said.  
  
"Ok," they said getting up. ______________________________________________________________ "So where do you expect to find this box anyways?" Gambit asked lighting a cigarette.  
  
Scott pulled the X-jet out of the hanger and into the air. Logan gave Gambit a warning glance knowing his sister wouldn't like that...but Gambit being as dense as he is didn't catch it.  
  
"Gambit," Raven snapped, "Do you mind? We're breathing here,"  
  
"My apologies chere," Gambit said, Putting out the cigarette.  
  
"Tried to warn you..." Logan mumbled to him.  
  
Gambit looked at him blankly. "So where down we find Pandora's box or whatever?"  
  
"Pandora's Box? We believe we'll find it somewhere near where Cleopatra lived, because according to my sources Julius Cesaer gave it to Cleopatra as a present and when they were invaded by an unknown group of people, she hid it, somewhere," Ritzy explained, she glanced at Raven who seemed particularly detached and has been shorter with people than she normally is...or short with people she's not usually so short with...namely...Gambit, who seemed to brush it off like it was nothing but, she knew different.  
  
"So we don't know where? Exactly it is but we know where she lived?" Gambit asked.  
  
"Well not quite, we don't really know where she lived...we know it was in Egypt near the Nile...but..." Ritzy told him. "So we're going on a wild goose hunt? This is ridiculous, I don't believe I let ya'll talk me into this..." he growled, now getting angry because of his severe need for a cigarette.  
  
"See Remy, That's why you smoke before you get on the plane," Logan grinned.  
  
"Or how about not smoking at all, If your gonna kill yourselves try something old fashion like jumping off a bridge or hanging yourself but don't take everyone else with you, " Raven hissed.  
  
Everyone turned to stare at her, both Logan and Gambit had a look of shock, which Logan quickly recovered from the blow, but Gambit seemed to take it more personally.  
  
"Sweetie, Are you okay?" Ritzy asked her, "That was a little harsh,"  
  
"That's why they call it brutal honesty," Raven replied bluntly.  
  
**Honey, Your Honest, I know, and I know you'd say somethin' like that to Logan and he'd get over it, he already has, But Gambit's takin' it kinda personal,** Ritzy 'told' her.  
  
**Than he needs a thicker hide,** Raven replied coldly.  
  
Ritzy sighed, then 'said' to Gambit...**She didn't mean it, there's somethin' wrong with her**  
  
**No kidding Chere, you think I hadn't noticed?** Gambit 'asked' her.  
  
**I can't figure out what, I can't read her, I can talk to her, but other than that she's completely shut me out...Jeez her mental wall makes the Berlin wall looked like a picket fence**, Ritzy 'replied'.  
  
**How's that different than any other time?** Gambit 'asked'  
  
**Now I can't break through it, Maybe you can...Talk to he**r...Ritzy 'told' her.  
  
**Not until I've had a cigarette,** Gambit 'Grumbled'.  
  
"Guys we're here," Scott said.  
  
He landed the X-jet with a thump, "Oops, Sorry," Scott said sheepishly.  
  
They all climbed out, and looked around. "So uh, where do we start?" Scott asked, looking at the vast oasis surrounding the Nile River.  
  
Raven started walking off in a direction..."Okay then we'll split up," Ritzy said.  
  
"I'm going with you," Scott said quickly, not wanting to deal the Newer, Angrier, Raven, Version 8.0.  
  
"Alright, Logan you too, come on, Gambit go with her," Ritzy said.  
  
"But..." Logan started but Ritzy Mentally cut him off.  
  
**Shut up and come on, I think Gambit might be able to figure out her malfunction**, Ritzy 'told' him.  
  
Logan was about to protest but thought better of it. ______________________________________________________________  
  
"Mon Chere, Wait up," Gambit called after Raven, Who stopped in her tracks.  
  
"Thanks Chere, " Gambit said catching up to her.  
  
"This isn't right, I need to go this way," she mumbled turning right.  
  
She said, literally ran into a vine-covered wall.  
  
"Chere?" Gambit looked at her strangely.  
  
She ran her hands along the wall, as if searching for something. Feeling a loose tile under the thick layer of vines she pushed it in, and a door opened, snapping the vines that concealed it. Gambit stared at her incredulously, "How'd you know that was there?" Gambit asked.  
  
"Don't know," Raven shrugged entering the hallway, cautiously her eyes glazing over to her yellow tiger-eyes.  
  
"Maybe we should go get the others," Gambit suggested.  
  
"Go ahead," Raven replied absent mindedly, as she kept walking.  
  
"Alright, Chere, I'll be back, Don't go gettin' into trouble," Gambit said backing out, and heading in the direction  
  
Raven headed toward the back of the hallway, turning left down a long corridor. Until she came to a small bedroom. It was covered in a thick layers dust, but pretty much left intact, the obviously belonged to a girl, but not Cleopatra. She searched the room, ran her hands along the seams of the bed until she came to a spot along the seam that felt bumpy and different from the other parts. She ripped it open, and pulled out a large golden key...She walked down the corridor again to the opposite side, into another room which was empty except for an empty pedestal with a key hole in it and several Egyptian glyphs etched all over the room. She laid the key on the pedestal but didn't put the key in the hole.  
  
Gambit found Raven in the room staring at some hieroglyphs; he also saw the key on the pedestal.  
  
"Chere does this go in here?" Gambit asked picking up the key.  
  
"Remy wait, don't," Raven said absent-mindedly.  
  
Which he didn't listen and he stuck the key in. Above him the roof rumbled and suddenly collapsed, Raven shoved gambit out of the way as a ton of rocks and dried mud fell from the ceiling. The others crowded around the door; they landed on the other side of the pile of rocks and mud with Raven on top of him.  
  
Gambit looked at her and smiled, "Um chere I really don't think this is the appropriate time,"  
  
Raven gave him dirty looked as she pushed herself off the ground, "I said wait," she hissed.  
  
Ritzy, Logan, and Scott entered the room, Ritzy pulled Gambit off the floor as he stared at her incredulously.  
  
She went back to the wall she was looking at, and pushed a few glyphs and there was a loud clicking noise that made everyone jump. She walked over to the pedestal and put the key back in and it opened up, producing a small rectangular box no bigger than a jewelry Box with several inscriptions, and was inlayed with silver, and several red and black jewels and an intricate lock on it. She picked it up breathlessly, "Found it..." she whispered.  
  
"Yeah the question is how, and why your acting so...pre-madonna-ish," Scott replied.  
  
A goldish glow filled the room then turned into a ball shaped like a human, the human shaped light came at her full force, and knocked her down, then disappeared...Raven lie on the ground unconscious.  
  
"Come on, Let's get her and the box to the professor," Logan said picking her up and carrying her out to the X-jet.  
  
*Back at the institute*  
  
"Her pulse is strong, and she seems fine other than the fact that she won't wake up; I tried to reach her telepathically but it's like she's not there at all, like trying to read someone when there out of range," Jean told Logan, Gambit and Xavier.  
  
Kitty stuck her head through the wall. "Um, guys she's a wake and is trying to kill Scott,"  
  
"What?" Logan stood up and headed for the door but Kitty pulled him through the wall and into the Lab.  
  
Raven had a Scalpel, to Scotts throat and held up against the wall, by his hair. Logan's claws sprang from his hands, "Raven what are you doing?" he demanded.  
  
Raven jerked around, and Scott took the opportunity to hit her, knocking her. Logan pounced on her, then sat on her pinning her arms to the ground.  
  
"What's your problem?" he growled.  
  
"Who are you people?" She demanded struggling against him but to no avail. Which surprised Logan, it to easy to hold her down.  
  
"What?" Logan asked.  
  
"Who are you?" She repeated.  
  
"You don't know us?" Kitty said stepping up beside them.  
  
"No she doesn't, That's not Raven, Are you Celesta?" Xavier said entering the room.  
  
She stopped struggling.  
  
**Hello Celesta, we're not here to hurt you, Do you remember what happened?** The professor 'asked' her.  
  
Her eyes darted around like a frightened cat, Logan let he up and she darted to the far corner of the lab.  
  
"Charlie, What's goin' on?" Logan asked.  
  
"I'm not really sure, but all I know is that, that's not Raven," he replied.  
  
"So if that's not Raven, Where is she?" Logan asked... 


End file.
